Page 30 - BB Neuromedicine Highlights 2019

Over 100 million Amer- dition to new antibody therapies,
icans are affected by hold great promise for the future.
a kind of neurological a BOlD NeW WOrlD – sTem
illness. Such conditions cells aND geNe TheraPIes
result in over $800 billion the use of stem cells in neuro-
in annual costs. Likewise, science continues to advance rap-
idly. By using stem cells, defective
over 40 million in the U.S. cells causing a disease may be re-
suffer from mental illness placed allowing better functional
or psychiatric disease. abilities. Alternatively, stem cells
can be used in neuromedicine to
The impact of psychiatric protect function by adding cells
diseases is similarly pro- that compensate for faulty ones.
found, affecting not only Stem cell treatments are being
individuals but families explored actively in neuroscience
for conditions like Parkinson’s
and society at large. disease and ALS.
Notably, gene therapies and
Together, these conditions precision medicine are making
comprise the field of neuromed- huge impacts in other areas of
icine. However, neuroscience healthcare. The same will apply
offers tremendous hope. Rapidly to neuromedicine as well. For
advancing neuroscience technol- example, genes may be turned
ogies promise an array of new “off” or altered to treat neuro-
diagnostics and interventions that logical disorders like epilepsy and
could dramatically change neu- neuromuscular disease. genome
romedicine of the future. Bold projects are also identifying a
leaders in the neuromedicine field number of new biomarkers for
plan to make this a reality sooner neuromedicine conditions. These
than later. advances will permit earlier
detection of risk or disease that
aDvaNces IN ImmuNOlOgy can better prevent or slow onset
aND NeurOscIeNce of illness.
Two renowned scientists have
received this year’s Nobel Prize PIcTures are WOrTh a ThOu-
in physiology or medicine. their saND cures – NeurOImagINg
discoveries of immune checkpoint DevelOPmeNTs
proteins revolutionized cancer For decades, neuroimaging ad-
treatments through focused vances have radically changed the
antibody therapies. These same practice of neuromedicine. The
techniques have already advanced future of neuromedicine will see
care for brain cancers within more of the same in this regard.
neuromedicine today. neurosci- Currently, the combination of
ence, however, has other notable high-resolution MRI with function-
immune system advances as well. al tracers using pEt scan or other
For example, neuromedicine techniques is revealing bold new
research is exploring the link be- insights. new neuroscience has
tween organisms in our intestinal evidence about poorly-defined
tract and our brain’s functioning. conditions like schizophrenia and
Our intestines are home to 80 fibromyalgia and how they are
percent of our immune system. being exposed through these
This area of neuromedicine, in ad- techniques.